The Jinchuuriki
by Inspira-Arwen
Summary: ON HIATUS CONSIDERING DISCONTINUATION Gaara is the Kazekage. He believes no one can love him, until he rescues Diane. A girl stolen from her land that seems a world away. When things get hard, their only chance is to believe in one another...
1. A Thought

Chapter 1: A Thought

For just a fleeting moment, Gaara wondered if anyone could ever need him. Then he shook off the thought and faced the vast city before him. Below, people moved throughout their lives. They didn't notice the person, watching from above. Behind him, someone spoke:

"Gaara-sama, what are you doing out here?" It was Kankuro, Gaara's older brother, a master puppeteer.

"Nothing," he replied hastily. "Just thinking."

Just as the older one was about to ask why, Gaara cut him off.

"Kankuro-san, what's it like to be loved?" The younger of the two had previously attended the wedding of one of the village women to his brother. "What's it like to be… needed?"

Kankuro didn't know how to answer that question. It wasn't something that could easily be explained. "Well, it's kind of complicated. I suppose it's wanting the best for the person you have feelings for. And it means that they want the best for you, too. It's when you don't care what happens to you, as long as the other person ends up happy."

"But, what's it _feel_ like?"

"I think that's something that you have to discover for yourself."

"No one could ever love me. There's something inside that's too evil to love. I know it." Gaara countered.

"I don't believe that. I know there's someone out there. Someone who can look past the dark shadow and see the light within. Listen, I have to get back to Shaliza, but there's some people waiting in the meeting hall for you. I'll see you later."

"Thank you," Gaara said, still pondering his brother's words. Was there really someone to love him? _No,_ he thought, _probably not._

He stood for a few more moments, thinking on what Kankuro had said. _Past the dark shadow… The light within…_ Gaara really hoped that his brother was right, but he wasn't quite ready to admit that to himself.

In the meeting hall, the village Elders, those who considered themselves wise enough to give "good" advice, met the young Kazekage.

"Sama, we need a restriction against homeless mongrels roaming the streets of our village."

"What for?" Gaara asked irritably. The Elders were always making stupid suggestions such as this.

"They're everywhere. The useless, the weak, the ones that don't have homes. They shouldn't be allowed to live here in our," the Elder paused for effect, "Utopia."

Gaara snorted. "Utopia? This place is hardly perfect, and to be frankly honest, I'm quite sick of your stupid 'restrictions.' People, who want to live here, can. I'm not going to start something about this until I see that there are many who don't have homes. Until I see that those who are homeless are causing trouble."

"But they are!" cried a second. "Why, just yesterday, one of them approached me, asking me for yen."

"And did you give him any?" The very annoyed man asked.

"Of course not! Why should I help _those_ people?"

"BECAUSE YOU ARE A CITIZEN OF THIS VILLAGE! ONE WHO HAS TAKEN A VOW TO HELP OTHERS! That is why you should have given him at least a little money to get some food!" Gaara exclaimed. The frivolity of these Elders was incredible.

"But-…" another tried to defend them.

"You couldn't help one person?!" Gaara shouted. "One person who didn't have a way of helping themself?"

"Why should we help those… animals?"

This was the final straw. "That's it. All of you are dismissed. But before you go, you all have a new job. Next to the children's playground, I want a homeless shelter built, and I want the 20 of you to build it. While you are constructing this building, I will construct a new Council of Elders. You are exonerated, both from your duties, and this hall."

The 20 men left the hall, muttering to themselves.

_I shouldn't have to deal with this. _Gaara thought. _I'm only seventeen. _But, he supposed, it was his job. He was the Kazekage after all.


	2. A Kinder Person

Chapter 2: A Kinder Person

It was late. Too late for many people to be up. But Diane was. She was searching. Searching for someone who could heal her bleeding body, and soothe her aching heart. But who?

Hesitantly, she knocked on a door that had the sign, "Inn" above it. "What do you want?" the man who had answered asked her rather rudely.

"Please. I need a doctor." She begged. She could tell that the man was about to help her, when he saw the scar next to her left eye. It is in the shape of a six-pointed star: the sign of the weasel.

"Beast!" The man shouted. "Monster, be gone from here!" He slammed the door in her face, literally.

"But I-…" With a sickening "crack," Diane felt her nose break. What could she do?

Eyes watering and blood gushing from her nose, she stumbled onward. She stopped several times, but when people saw her tattered clothes and six-pointed scar, the door was shut without another thought.

It was late. Gaara paced his room, never sleeping, and always there. There was something different in the way that the wind blew through his window. It carried something on it. Was it anger? Sadness? Frustration? Whatever it was, it wasn't the normal feeling of the night air.

He'd decided to investigate when he heard a low moaning noise. "What was that?" he asked the air.

Diane had finally given up. She sunk to the ground, her face bleeding, her arm broken, and her hope shattered by the unfairness she'd been dealt by the hand of Fate.

With a soft cry, she let her emotions wash over her. She looked up at the sky. To her left was a large house, but she'd given up trying to ask for help.

With no resolve left, she felt her energy drain, and passed out.

Gaara had gone outside to search for what had cried. It hadn't been very loud. Maybe just a cat, even, but something was tugging at him to go and look.

Just below the steps leading to the Kazekage's home there was something lying on the ground. As he edged closer he saw that it was a person. A girl! He rushed down the remaining steps and knelt beside her. She could be no older than he, a mere seventeen.

"Can I get some help out here?" he called. Several servants rushed out. They assisted their Kazekage in carrying the girl into the house. Kankuro had heard Gaara call, and laid some blankets on the floor for the girl. "Here," Gaara said, shifting the girl slightly so he could lay her down. "Here, put her here." They placed her gently on the blankets, on her side.

She was a mess. There was blood flowing freely from her nose, and her right arm seemed to be bent at a strange angle.

"Chirri-kun, go call a doctor." He ordered. Suddenly, he spied the six-pointed star on her temple. Could it be? Could she really be a… Jinchuuriki?

The girl let out another soft moan. Her eyes flickered open for a moment. She was trying to speak.

"A… kinder… person, I… couldn't find…" she managed, and then lost consciousness again.

Gaara started. She had called him kind. Him? Kind? It just didn't make sense. She obviously didn't know him. He killed thoughtlessly, he'd ripped families apart, well he used to. Lately, he'd begun to remember Naruto's words that there are connections that can be had with people. "Bonds," he'd called them.

Still, she'd called him kind. Gaara felt a sort of fluttering in his stomach.

One of Gaara's servants placed a hand on her nose. Using some of his chakra, he healed her broken cartilage. "S-sorry, Gaara-sama. There's nothing I can do for her arm."

"No, that's all right." He said hurriedly. He noticed that his own hands were covered in blood. A lot of blood. It couldn't have just come from her nose. He gently rolled her on to her stomach. He back was covered in what looked like whip-welts. He took another of the blankets and wrapped her in it.

Not willing to wait for a medic-nin to arrive, he picked her up, and bolted from the house.

Once at the hospital, the young woman was taken from him and he was asked to wait in the lobby. They'd inform him shortly.

Gaara sat, not really knowing what was going on. In a matter of moments, he'd felt a change within himself. He suddenly wanted to be a better person. He decided then and there that he would become a better person… A kinder person…


	3. The Story's Beginning

_A/N: I just thought it was time to introduce myself. I'm in love with "Naruto," reading, writing, and playing the piano. Some things about my writing: I do not use profanity. The worst word you will ever find is "crap." I do NOT write explicit sex scenes, but I love romance, and fluffiness! I love the fluff! I do write the occasional serious innuendo, but you will never find any actually scenes, so if that's what you're looking for, you're out of luck, sorry. Anyways, I hope you enjoy my stories. I do kill people off, and I do write about seduction, pain, and sadness. Anyways, if you have any ideas that I could add, I would love to hear about them. You can email me at I also have a Neopets account: 2991giggles1992. All right, I'm done now, enjoy! PS: Thanks to darkangel211101 for the STELLAR reviews! _

Chapter 3 – She Begins Her Story (But it doesn't end here) 

For several hours, Gaara sat in the waiting room. Several times, Medics would open the door, and each time, the young Kazekage would look up expectantly. It wasn't until someone said, "Kazekage-sama, the girl you brought in, she's fine."

"Can I see her?"

The medic-nin nodded. "She's awake. Her right arm is broken, and her back will always be scarred. You must answer me honestly: Sama, did you do this to her?"

Gaara took a step back, slightly offended. "What? No!"

"Then, what did happen?"

Gaara shook his head. "Honestly, I don't know." I was upstairs, when I heard this low moaning. I went outside and she was just lying there in the street. I swear that's what happened."

The medic-nin nodded. "I believe you, but you may need to be taken in for questioning later, if we don't get a direct answer."

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, she's awake, but she's being very unresponsive. We couldn't get any information out of her. Good luck. You can see her now."

She had her back to door. She was staring out the window, looking up at the midday sky. She'd been in this hospital for over 12 hours. Most of the time, doctors had run tests and asked her questions. She knew better than to tell them anything really personal, and they'd tried to coax her into a name-guessing game.

She still hadn't given them her name, and they had given up. She had had a few questions of her own. Who had brought her here? Where was she? How could she go back home, when it seemed a world away?

There was a slight cough behind her. She jumped and whirled around. This person was very close, maybe a foot away. Why hadn't she heard him come in? Odd…

"W-who are y-you?" she asked.

Her voice was barely louder than a whisper, and it made something knot up inside the teenaged Kazekage. She seemed so… fragile…

"I'm Gaara, Kazekage of Sunagkure, where you are now." He bowed slightly. Even then, he towered over her by at least a foot.

She gasped. Gaara knew that if she could have stepped back she would have, but the windowsill was in the way. All the same, she tried, and nearly fell out the window. He grasped her arm before she could go anywhere.

She edged sideways, trying to get away. This irritated Gaara a little.

"W-what do you want?" she whispered.

Gaara saw down on one of the chairs next to the hospital bed. "…To ask you how you came to Sunagakure, and how you managed to make it through the whole city without help from one person."

"I-I used to live far away, in a house by the sea." She looked into his eyes. They were the same color as the clear water that she had lived by. "It was the best time of my life, but that was a while ago. Then, one day, some men came to our island and demanded that all the girls over the age of fifteen go with them. I didn't want to go, but my family was to weak to resist them. I… I watched them die… All of them, my little sister Anita, my parents, my friends. I watched them all killed as I was taken away.

"On the ship, there were a lot of other girls. They all looked terrible. Life on board was hard, and there wasn't a day that went by that we weren't beaten or used. Is there anything also you need to know?"

She didn't look happy, and Gaara really wanted to press her further, but he assumed that was all he'd get out of her for now, except one other thing… "What is your name?"

"My name… is Diane…"


	4. Fear

Chapter 4: Fear

Diane was scared. While she'd been in captivity, she'd heard about Gaara, the Sand Demon. They'd told her horrible things. How he killed thoughtlessly and how he would hurt someone without thinking.

He'd claimed to be Gaara, and as she had surveyed him, she realized that he was most definitely the container of the Shukaku, whatever that was. The black rims around his eyes that looked like kohl, no eyebrows, and those cold eyes that masked all of him. Diane had looked into his eyes and seen the bitter outward appearance, but she'd also seen something else lurking there. Inside his sea-glass eyes, she'd seen almost all of him, though he'd been hiding it…What was it? Could it have been sadness? What about hate?

Diane felt that it very well could be both. Both and more… It was all very intriguing, and though he desperately frightened her, she wanted to know more.

Gaara sat in the hospital lobby. He had been thinking of Diane. She had seemed incredibly frightened of him. Why, though? She had tried to back away and nearly fallen out the window.

A medic-nin entered. He bowed. "Gaara-sama. I'm afraid there's more news. Diane is… pregnant."

"What?" This was very unexpected.

"From all the use that her body endured while in captivity, I'm not surprised. I thought something like this might occur. She'll need to come get checked up on next week, but you can take her home now." He said it so casually, that Gaara thought he might shake him. "I'd say she's about a month along."

_Pregnant? How? _

There was another knock on Diane's door. "Come in," she called from the window.

Again, it was Gaara. Diane immediately scurried to the opposite wall. "Can I help you?"

"Come on," he said in his deeply soothing yet dissatisfying voice. "You're coming home with me."

"What? I am not! I'm going home, and there's nothing you can do to stop me. I'll travel to the ends of the earth to get back, and you're not stopping me." Her voice was, cold, determined.

Gaara smirked. "Oh, no you're not. Not for another year at the least."

Diane looked shocked. "What?! Why not?"

"You wouldn't want to risk hurting the child." He said softly. "By traveling so much, who knows what you could do to a baby?"

Diane fainted.

Gaara swooped her up into his arms and took her from the hospital. Taking her upstairs to a room in his home, he laid her on the bed and called for one of his servants to attend to her. He had a meeting to go to.

Gaara almost shouted in frustration. In the amount of time between the last meeting and now, the Elder's themselves had accomplished very little. Oh, there was work being done, but not by them. Instead, they'd ordered several villagers and a few of the homeless to complete the work.

He dismissed them, telling them that this was not their job, and that they should return to their normal household duties. He had gotten a funny feeling when they had smiled at him and said a grateful, "Arigatou, Gaara-sama."

After they left, Gaara had then proceeded to yell at the elders, telling that this was their task and that if heard of employment, other than he had appointed, all of them would be banished.

After he was done, he stomped off home. Kankuro greeted him.

"Brother, how are you? Have you found out the fate of that girl?" he asked.

"Yeah, yeah. She's upstairs. She's a bit shocked, though. She just found out she's pregnant."

"How did that happen?" the puppeteer asked.

Softly, the Kazekage replied, "Rape."

AN: Sorry guys, I know it was unsatisfyingly short, but you'll have to forgive me. I'm working my hardest to pump out the chapters. I'm working on it, and I just came up with several new ideas that I scribbled hurriedly in math class. I almost got caught, too! See what I do for you guys??? Anyway, forgive me and I'll try to get more out soon! Ja na!


	5. One Week So Far

Chapter 5: One Week So Far

Diane had so far spent one week with the Kazekage. It had been the most emotionally frightening seven days of her life. At one moment, he would be perfectly calm, but then someone would say something that was even rude, and the man would fly off the handle.

Two days before, she'd said something about his gourd and he'd gotten so angry, she was afraid he would kill her. All he'd done, was pinned her to the wall with sand, but it was so terrifying that she wouldn't go near him for one whole day.

That next day, he'd tried to speak with her, but she'd stayed in her room, refusing to let anyone in. He finally broke the door down, trying to convince her to eat… for the sake of the child growing within her. She hadn't given in. She wouldn't near him.

It was day eight and Diane was completely scared out of her wits. She didn't like being near Gaara, but she couldn't understand why people called him a monster. Yes, he was scary, but he wasn't inhuman.

It was noon, and Diane had still not come out of her bathroom, which she had locked her self in after Gaara had broken the bedroom door. Diane hadn't eaten all morning. She'd spent the night in the bathroom, with the door locked, and though her stomach was growling with hunger, she refused point-blank to come out.

Gaara had sat there the entire night, begging her to come out. For the first few minutes, she'd replied "no," but after a while of endless plea, Diane had begun to ignore him.

"Darn you, Diane-san!" he now shouted. "Why won't you come out?" he cried.

"B-because you frighten me!!" she bellowed. "I don't want you to hurt me!"

Silence…

She heard him place his forehead on the door. He was either very angry or very sad. Then she heard footsteps coming toward the door. There was a muffled conversation, in which, she only caught the words: "all night," "won't eat," and "scared."

Then she heard the other person say: "can't force," and "just go."

Someone knocked on the bathroom door.

"What?" Diane asked.

It was a woman this time. "Diane-san, won't you please come out and eat something?"

"Why?"

"Because…" the person took a deep breath. "Gaara-sama is worried for you. He doesn't want something to happen to you or the baby. Please come out. Gaaara-sama has left."

Diane stood up, her back aching from the hours on the floor. Hesitantly, she opened the door. A girl with four blonde pigtails was standing there holding a bowl of soup.

"Th-thank you," Diane said tentatively. She sat down on the bed.

"I'm Temari, Gaara's older sister. It's a pleasure to meet you. Sorry he's so scary sometimes. It's partly our fault, I guess. He was always shunned, and he's not used to having unfamiliar people around him. He'll get used to you soon, though."

"He just seems so… introverted… It's like he's almost… scared… of people." Said Diane, choosing her words carefully.

"Yeah, it does seem that way sometimes. I don't think that it's that he's scared of people, I think it's the fear of rejection… of being rejected by you… that makes him so touchy."

Diane stared. "Rejected by m-me?"

"Why do you think he sat here all night?" Temari asked. "Because he didn't want you to run away. He wanted you to stay here, but just not in the bathroom." She smiled.

Diane thought for a moment. _I guess that makes sense… sort of_, she thought. _This is all a bit strange. _

"So…" Temari said, trying to find a new subject. "I heard you're going to have a baby."

The foreign girl stared at her slightly bulging belly. "Yeah, I guess." She replied. She shuddered, remembering how they'd used her. How they'd kissed her. She never wanted it again.

Temari smiled. "Me, too." She said softly. "I just found out yesterday. My husband I are really hoping for a boy, but a girl would be wonderful. But shhh, it's a secret. Don't tell anyone, okay?"

Diane nodded.

Just then, Gaara entered the room. Diane instinctively jumped, and tried to move as far away from him as possible, but she remembered how Temari had said that he was afraid of being rejected. She didn't want him to think she hated him, so she sat still.

"Temari-san, can I talked to Diane-chan, alone, please?"

The older sister of the Kazekage nodded and smiled, then left. He sat down on the bed next to her, looking at the bedspread.

Diane was about to ask him just what he wanted, when he said quietly, "I'm sorry for scaring you. I really didn't mean to pin you to the wall."

"It's all right," she said. "I forgive you."

He looked up, amazed. "What?"

"It's all right. I'm not angry about it." She insisted. She really wanted to show him that she wanted to stay with him.

"You probably want to leave, don't you?"

The girl shook her head. "If it's all right… I-I'd like to stay… w-with y-you." she countered softly.

A/N: All right everyone! I am SOOOOOOO sorry that it's taken me so long to update. I've been so busy. I'm trying to organize a trip with three other students at my school so we can go to Romania, but we're not having much luck, so we've been having a rough time, and I just haven't had any extra. If I get lucky, I'll get some more chapters out tonight. Please review so I can be a better writer. Oh, and what's a beta????


	6. Music of the Heart

Chapter 6: Music of the Heart

Diane had now been living in the Village Hidden in the Sand for three months. She was four months pregnant, and at the moment, very frustrated. She wasn't hungry, she wanted music. Unluckily for her, most of the people of the Sand had never heard of piano, and what she desperately craved was to play.

"Gaara-sama, I have a request." She said softly, after knocking on his study door.

"Anything, Di-san. What is it you want?"

"I want a piano."

"Why?" he asked quietly. He hadn't heard piano music for a very long time.

"Because my soul hungers for the movement of my fingers," she said dramatically with a grin.

And then he surprised her, "We have one. Come one, I'll show you." he said. He led her downstairs into the living room. He moved one of the bookcases out of the way, and… opened the door behind it. Diane gasped.

In the middle of the spotless room, was a grand piano. It was perfect in every sense of word.

"Well, go on," Gaara said playfully, giving her a push. She sat down, and ran her hands along the keys. Then she began to play.

The first one was a slow, sad song. It sounded like the darkest hour of the night. It almost made his heart ache.

"It's called 'Moonlight Sonata.' I learned it when I was only seven. It's stuck with me ever since."

And then she began another. This one started out slowly, but reached its climax near the middle of the song, and then began to slow down once more. It too, was played with so much emotion that the young man behind the pianist nearly shook.

"Pachelbel Canon in D."

And then another, this one was fast, irritated.

"Rage Over a Lost Penny."

The next one was a song that sounded like it was supposed to be a love song, but it was sad. She began to sing to it as she played.

"Please, don't let this feeling end,

It's everything I am,

Everything I want to be.

I can see what's mine now,

Finding out what's true,

Since I found you…

Looking through the eyes of love…"

She stopped. Diane sat with her fingers on the keys. Behind her, she could hear Gaara shaking.

"Are you all right?" she asked tentatively.

He nodded and gulped. "Y-you p-p-play with so much emotion." He noticed that there were tears running down her cheeks.

"Are _you_ all right?" he asked her.

She nodded, "Just very homesick, and very sad." She stood, suddenly wanting to be away from the piano, away from the music. She tried to run from the room, but Gaara caught her, and held her close.

She breathed deeply, sobbing into his chest. He didn't know how to comfort her, what to say. So he just stood there, with his arms around her waist while she sobbed out all of her pain.

After a few minutes, she pushed away from him. She didn't look back as she walked from the room, but instead, kept her eyes trained on the floor. The last song of hers still ringing in his ears, he shut the door, moved the bookcase back in front of it, and wend back to his study. Dusk was falling. It was going to be a long night.


	7. I Don't Want It

Chapter 7: I Don't Want It

Gaara could hear someone trying to disguise their footsteps as they crept down the hallway. The steps were light, that of a woman.

He silently opened the door to his study, and followed them down the stairs. Diane was kneeling on the kitchen floor, a large knife in her hand. She was whispering to herself. He could see that her eyes were red, and that she was crying. It had been nearly two months ago that she'd played the piano, and since then, she'd been in a state of deep depression.

This was the first she had come from her room in a month, and Gaara could see that she was mustering up the resolve to end her life. She brought the weapon up to her chest. Holding it a few inches away, she was about to drive it in, when a small sand barrier placed itself between her and the knife.

She screamed in frustration as she stood and whipped around to face Gaara. He was standing on the threshold, his arms crossed over his chest.

And then…

He was in front of her, wrenching the knife from her grasp, and pinning her to the wall with his body.

She struggled with all her might, but he just wouldn't move. She tried to hit him, but the sand blocked her. After a few moments, Gaara shouted, "Stop! You're going to hurt the baby!"

"THAT'S IT!" she screamed. "I DON'T WANT THIS CHILD! IT'S NOT MINE!"

Out of breath, she slumped against him, sobbing uncontrollably. Once again, he wrapped his arms around her waist. He body molded to his.

"Di-chan, you've been given this child for a reason. If you weren't supposed to give birth, you wouldn't have gotten pregnant." He reasoned. "You're supposed to love this child. I'm not going to let you have this child and not love it. I'm not going to let what happened to me, happen to this one."

Diane nodded.

Then, Gaara slowly lifted her chin. And then… her kissed her. It was so unlike anything she had ever experienced that at first, her eyes widened in shock. All other kissed she'd received had been, rough, demanding, and painful. But this… this was something else.

Behind it, there was nothing but tenderness. It wasn't a rough demand. It was a soft begging, a silent plea, and Diane soon settled into it.

A few days later, Gaara was called on a mission to Konoha. Well, actually, it was just a meeting with the Hokage.

"I'll be back in a few weeks." He said softly. "Don't worry about me. I'll be fine." Gaara was trying to reassure Diane that he would be just fine, and that the mission wasn't in any way dangerous.

He could tell that she didn't believe him.

Her eyes were filled with the worry that he hated so much.

Kissing her lips softly, he silently promised to come back as soon as he could. And then he was gone.

She stared for a moment at where he had just been, and then went into the living room. She sat down on the couch, and felt a swift kick in her midsection. She laid a hand over her swollen stomach and smiled.

Gaara was right… this baby was meant to be hers. She was going to love it and cherish it with all her heart.

Just then, great, stabbing pain wracked her body.

A/N: I am on a roll! Three chapters in one night, whew! My brain hurts thinking about it, but I hope you guys are enjoying this! Tell me what you think!


	8. Labor's Pain

Chapter 8: Labor's Pain

Gaara had been speaking with the Hokage for only a few moments when some one knocked on the door.

"Come in," Tsunade called.

A messenger appeared. "Kazekage-sama, a message has come from the Village Hidden the Sand."

Gaara took the note. It said only four words: The baby is coming. The young man jumped up. "I am so sorry, but I really have to leave. It's an emergency."

"What's wrong?" Tsunade asked, clearly concerned. "Anything I can help with?"

"My," he paused, "Friend… she's going into labor."

Tsunade wasted no time. "Let's go. We're going to deliver a baby." She said, a huge grin breaking over her over-done features.

Gaara nodded. Within minutes, they were on their way. They reached the village in three hours time. It should have taken three days.

Diane was lying on a bed, completely lost to her surroundings. Every few moments, her body would be racked with pain, but then it would pass, and she'd lie still for another few seconds before it hit again. She vaguely remembered someone telling her that her baby was coming.

She screamed as her body tried to force the child within her again. All around her, people were scurrying to and fro. It didn't really matter, Diane just wanted the pain to stop.

Gaara burst into the bedroom… and was immediately pushed out again but a flurry of shouting women. Never had so much estrogen filled one place in his entire life.

Tsunade left him outside for a few moments. He could hear her dealing out orders, and then the door opened slightly again. She ushered him to Diane's side. The girl was sweating, delirious. Gaara felt her forehead. She was burning up.

"Di-chan, can you hear me?" he asked softly. She opened her eyes slightly. She blinked.

"Gaara?"

He grabbed her hand. She squeezed it as hard as she could when the contraction came again. Gaara winced.

Tsunade was kneeling behind a blanket that had been put up to protect Diane's privacy. She shouted, "Tell her to push!"

"Di-chan. Listen to me. On the count of five, you have to push, okay?"

She nodded at his request. "One… two… three… four… fi-."

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!" Diane screamed with effort, her back arching in pain.

"Okay, one more time!" Tsunade called.

"One… two… three… four… fi-."

"**AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!**"

"Almost!" The Hokage called again.

"GAARA! WHY ARE YOU LETTING ME HAVE THIS CHILD?" Diane screamed as she pushed again. "WHY DIDN'T YOU JUST LET ME DIE???"

Gaara was quickly losing control.

"**WHY?**" Diane screamed once more.

"BECAUSE I NEED YOU!" he shouted. He lowered his voice. "I-I need y-you t-t-to stay. Please," he begged. "Don't leave." He whispered.

There was a soft cry, but it didn't come from Diane. Tsunade proudly whooped. "Yes! It's a boy!" she called.

She thought they were finished, but just then, the young girl's body clenched up again.

"Oh my word! There's another one!" The Hokage shouted. She caught the baby, and then placed a bucket by the bed to catch the afterbirth. Diane passed out.

"Gaara, come here." Tsunade ordered. She had wrapped the babies in towels and handed one of them to Gaara.

Gaara stared at the little baby that he now held in his arms. A powerful feeling of… of something came over him. He suddenly wanted to never let this baby go, to protect it from the world., from evil. He was shaking.

And for the first time in years, Gaara cried…

_A/N: WHOOO! That was good. I liked this chapter a lot, but what I think doesn't really matter. What did _you_ think???_


	9. Two!

Chapter 9: Two!

Gaara was still holding the unnamed baby. It was a little girl. The second child. She was a little smaller than her older brother, but not much. Diane had slept for quite a while now, and the young Kazekage was beginning to get a little worried. He placed a worried kiss on her forehead.

Her eyes didn't open. Tsunade entered the room. "Gaara? I need to explain something to you."

He nodded, still staring at the little wonder in his arms. She knelt before him, like a mother before a child.

"Gaara, there's a problem. Because she's so young, her body wasn't ready to handle labor."

His head shot up. "Is she going to die?"

"No, but if she ever gets pregnant again, she will. You have to make a decision before she wakes up. I can tie her tubes, or you can take the chance."

His mind was already made. "Tie her tubes. I don't want to lose her." He said softly.

"You're proxy-ing for her. Is this what she would want?"

He nodded. "She'd want to live."

Tsunade nodded. She handed Gaara the other baby, the boy and kindly asked him to leave the room. He did so, going downstairs to the living room. The babies were both sleeping peacefully his arms. It was fascinating. He shook his head in amazement for the umpteenth time, and sat down.

* * *

Diane woke from a dreamless sleep. Something felt… different. She came back to reality with a "thud." _I'm a mother_, she thought.

Gaara was sitting beside her, something small in his arms. He seemed to not have noticed her awake.

"G-Gaara?" she called softly. He looked over at her and smiled. Then he knelt beside the bed.

Handing her the baby, he said quietly, "This one's a girl. Tsunade is taking care of the boy downstairs."

"B-boy?"

"You gave birth to twins," he said happily.

"Really?" she was overjoyed. "Oh my word! We never talked about names! I think I'll name her Nicola. What do you think?"

"Nicola… I think it's beautiful," he said honestly. Just then, Tsunade walked in. She took the girl from Diane's arms, and carefully handed her the boy. "Christopher," she said gently. "His name is Christopher."

"Nicola and Christopher… Perfect." Gaara smiled, and then kissed her gently on the lips.

Nicola woke up. She began to wail, and in doing so, woke her brother, who began to cry as well. Diane seemed to know exactly what to do. A few moments later, Gaara was out of the room, and the children were suckling with vigor.

Gaara could tell that life was about to become very interesting…

* * *

_A/N: Sorry that this one is so short! I'm running out of ideas. This relly isn't the main point of the story, but it's a main conflict leading up to the climax. Just wait, it's going to be good! Thanks to everyone for the amazing, if not highly amusing reviews. I think my favorite one was: _OMG! TWINZYZ! WHAT HAPPENS NEXT??? _Anyways, good times…_


	10. Threats and Lies

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto characters, titles, logos, indicia, all that crap. I do own: Diane, Nicola, Christopher, Shaliza, and some ofthe maids I guess. Enjoy! 

Chapter 10: Threats and Lies

Diane was gently cradling her month-old children in her arms. They were sleeping peacefully. There was a knock on the door. Gaara entered. Quietly, he relieved Diane of Christopher. The child slept peaceully in his arms. Then, Shaliza and Kankuro entered the room.

"Here, why don't you guys go get something to eat?" Shaliza asked softly. "We'll watch the children."

"Oh, thank you so much. Are you sure?" Diane said.

Shaliza smiled. "It's no trouble. Leave already," she said playfully.

"Okay, we'll be back in a couple of hours," Gaara replied.

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They were sitting in a small restaurant on the outskirts of town. There were only a few others in the place, but the two hadn't paid them any attention.

They were eating and talking when suddenly, the door to the restaurant burst open. A scrawny man with ugly black eyes and a prominent nose entered. Diane gasped. "It's him," she breathed in Gaara's ear.

"Who?" Gaara was slightly confused.

"Ikuya. He's the one who got me pregnant. Nicola and Christopher are his children. Oh, no! He probably knows. He's probably come for them," she said fearfully.

"Let's go. We've got to get back to the house before he finds out you're here." Gaara quickly paid for the meal. Just as they were leaving, Ikuya stepped in front of them. Diane tried to hide her face, but it was too late.

"Well, well. Diane, you seem to have already had the child. Tell me, where is he?" The man named Ikuya cupped Diane's chin with his hand and forced her to look at him.

"Don't touch her," Gaara snapped.

Ikuya surveyed him warily. "And who are you?" he asked menacingly.

"Her friend... and the Sand's Kazekage, so I suggest you leave before I get angry..." he replied.

Ikuya turned his attention back to Diane. He obviously didn't view Gaara as very dangerous. "So, where's the child?"

"Why do you want to know?" she asked through gritted teeth.

"Because I want to claim what's rightfully mine,"

Gaara was getting angry. "You'll claim nothing. We're leaving." He pushed Ikuya out of the way, and, taking Diane by the hand, led her out of the restaurant.

"If you don't give me the child, I'll find you. I'll kill the child... and then, I'll kill you," he threatened. Gaara spun around.

"What did you say?"

"I said, I'll kill the child, and then... I'll kill her," Ikuya spat. "You know, the child? From Diane's little fling with me. Don't you remember Diane? You came to me. Begging me to take you. Isn't that right?"

Gaara looked at Diane. Tears were streaming down her face. She was shaking her head.

"You were amazing. The best I've ever done, but then... you were the weakest of them all. Weren't you?" He was taunting her. He wanted her to say something rash. Gaara saw it. He also fiercely hoped that Ikuya was only pretending. Diane... want something like that?

"You got very sick on board. Was it motion sickness? No, I remember. We poisoned you, that was it. It was to give you exactly one year to live. So you could have the child, and then die a sad, slow, painful death."

Gaara had had enough of this crap. He picked Diane up, and shot off back to the house. He deposited her in the room with the children, and then ran off to his bedchamber.

One year? That would mean she only had... one month left...

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Author's Note: Sorry it's taken me so long! I just had all this stuff going on with Christmas and everything. I also had a serious case of writer's block. But, here it is! Review please!


	11. The Single Male

Author's Note: I AM SO SORRY I HAVEN'T UPDATED PLEASE DON'T KILL ME! But, if you do, let me die a quick painless death, okay? I really had a serious case of writer's block thanks to my liking of random plot twists, but yeah, Diane has only one month left to live. Got it? Don't worry, she's not going to leave Gaara with the children. Remember, happy endings are my FORTE. 

Disclaimer:

Roses are blue, Violets are red If You agree with this,  
You've got rocks in your head.  
But that's just fine because.  
Roses are red,  
Violets are blue,  
I don't own Naruto (logos, titles, or indicia)  
And neither do you.

Chapter 11: The Single Male

Gaara was sitting alone in his room. He'd left Diane with the children for some time now, not wanting to look at her, afraid she would drop dead at any second. Gosh darn-it! This wasn't helping! He was trying to come up with a solution, but the only person who could have ever known something, died bringing him back to life.

Yes, Chiyo-baasama had been gone quite a while. But wait... didn't Haruno Sakura of the Leafe Village learn from Chiyo? Maybe she could help.

Gaara stood up and left the room. He went quickly to his study and sent for one of his messengers. While he awaited them, he hastily scribbled: 'Haruno Sakura or Tsunade-sama, I have a request. A good friend of mine is going to die here in Suna. She's been poisoned with a Nenkan, and only has one month left. If you can help, I will do anything. -Gaara, Kazekage of Sunagakure'

The messenger arrived a few moments later. "Please, take this message to Haruno Sakura or Tsunade-sama of Konoha. It's urgent."

The messenger-nin nodded and departed.

After he had left, Gaara placed his head in his hands, terrified, nervous, sad. There was a soft, hesitant knock on his door. "Come in."

Diane entered the room. Her eyes were red and she was shaking. She looked like she was afraid, rather than sick. "Gaara-sama, I'm sorry,"

Gaara stood. Diane took a small step back. She was afraid.

"Sorry for what?" he asked softly.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I knew they'd poisoned me, but you were just so kind, I didn't want to make you mad by making you think that I was tricking you into something. I'm sorry. I'll go if you want me to."

Gaara stood there for a moment, completely stunned. Nothing like that had crossed his mind. "Di-chan, I'm not angry with you. How could I be mad? It's not like you chose to be poisoned."

"But, but, I... I should just go," she insisted, backing towards the door some more. "That way, I can put.. put Chris and Nikki up for adoption and they can go to a family that will be able to take care of them." Tears streamed down her face as she realized she couldn't keep her children, and she couldn't leave them to Gaara, who'd already done so much for her.

A Village Elder entered the study. "Kazekage-sama, Elizabeth-hime will be arriving tomorrow afternoon. The ceremony is to begin day after tomorrow at noon." He bowed slightly.

Gaara cocked his head to one side, slightly confused. "What ceremony?"

"D-didn't the other Elders tell you? They're tired of being ruled by a single male. You're getting married, day after tomorrow at noon, to a Princess from across the sea."

"Um, no I'm not." Gaara was slightly angered by this, but it was within his control to stop it.

"Yes, you are, and if you decline, you'll be banished from Suna and the rest of the Wind Country. Don't forget your duty."

Diane had had enough. She was still crying as she left the room and hurried back to her two children. She picked them up and held them close to her, knowing that it would all end very soon.

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Diane opened her eyes to the brilliant sunlight streaming into the room. She started to tremble as the events of the night before filled her mind. There was a soft knock on the door. Gaara entered, his fiery red hair, tousled as though he'd spent the whole night running his hands through it in aggravation.

"Di-chan, are you awake?"

"I'm leaving today." She'd made up her mind. She couldn't stay.

"No," he knelt beside the bed. "Please don't," he whispered. Diane sat up.

"I can't ask you for anything more."

Gaara hung his head, hiding his face. "You didn't ask," he said. "I gave. I want you to stay."

"But you have to get married tomorrow. Married!"

"I'm not going to let it happen. I won't marry a stranger."

Diane stood. "Look, I have to leave. If I stay, I'll-" She didn't finish. A great spasm of pain wracked her body. It was almost like a contraction, but Diane knew she wasn't pregnant. She collapsed. With each beat of her heart, the pain got stronger. She didn't realize that Gaara was holding on to her for dear life.

He was shouting, but she barely heard him. "SOMEBODY! GET SOME HELP!" He called frantically. She was vaguely aware of being in his arms.

"Gaara-kun," she said weakly. "It's coming." Diane now knew what Ikuya had meant by slow and painful death.

"No," he whispered, burying his face in her hair. He knew there was still at least a month, but it frightened him that her body was already deteriorating. "No, you're going to be fine. COME ON SOMEONE! I NEED A DOCTOR!"

He ran from the house to the hospital as fast as his body would permit. The medic-nins swept her out of his arms and ordered him into the waiting room.

--------------------------------------------

Haruno Sakura was studying a set of scrols when the message arrived. She infromed Tsunade at once.

"Tsunade-sensei! One of the Kazekage's friends has been poisoned! They're requesting our help."

"Oh, man! Let's go!" the elder woman cried.

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Sometime after Gaara had arrived at the hospital, Temari and Kankuro arrived as well. Temari was holding her stomach, as though she might go into labor any second.

"I left Shaliza with Niki and Chris," Kankuro said softly.

They sat down next to their brother. "Is she all right?" Temari asked.

"Well, when she was kidnapped, she was poisoned. The poison they used takes a year to kill. She only has one month left, and the poison is starting to take effect."

Temari gasped.

A medic-nin entered. "Those associated with umm...Diane?" he asked, looking up from his clipboard.

Gaara and his family rose. "Is she all right?"

"Um, well, no actually. Because the poison is starting to work her body down, she's in a lot of pain. If we can't get the poison out within the week, she'll slip into a coma. If we can extract the poison, she should be all right, but there could be some serious side-effects."

"How long will that take?" Kankuro asked.

"A few days, maybe less if we can get a really good medic. I've sent a message to Tsunade-sama of Konoha."

"Yeah, so do I. She should be here by this evening at the latest. Can we see her?" Gaara asked.

"I think so. We've loaded her up on medications, but she should be fairly alert."

-----------------------------------------

Diane clearly was still in a lot of pain, despite the medication.

Gaara sat down beside her. Her eyes were claped shut, and she looked incredibly tense. He took her by the hand. He opened her eyes slightly. "Gaara-kun, it hurts so much. I-I just want it all to end. I'd rather die."

"No," he insisted. "You have to live, if not for me then for your children. I know what it's like to not have a mother, remember? I'm not going to let that happen to you."

"I'll try."

There was a knock on the door. "Kazekage-sama. Your bride has arrived and awaits your presence at your home. You must go now."

Gaara sighed. "I have to leave now, Di-chan, but Temari-chan and Kankuro-san are here. I'll come back as soon as I can," he promised. He sealed it with a kiss to her brow.

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Gaara reached his home within in moments, and decided he might as well have a bit of fun. He sneaked behind the house, then scaled the wall to his room. Once in side, he quickly made his way to the little twins' room. Shaliza was rocking Christopher, trying to get him to sleep.

"Oh, Konnichiwa, Gaara-sama," she said when he entered the room.

"Hey Shaliza-chan. Can I borrow Nicola?"

She nodded. "Oh, wait, you might want this." She handed him a spit-up rag. He flung it across his shoulder and proceeded to make his way downstairs, the small child in her arms.

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He entered the room with a grin on his face. There was a tall woman sitting on a chair a few feet away. Her long gown swept the floor.

She looked up. A startled look crossed her face. Her eyes traveled up from his toes to the mark on his forhead and his bright red hair.

Her first impression was that he was too strange-looking to be allowed. Then she saw the baby in his arms and nearly fainted. Remembering herself, she stood.

"I am Princess Elizabeth of England," she stated, pulling herself into a deep curtsy.

"I am Sabaku no Gaara, Kazekage of the Village Hidden in the Sand."

"I was told I am to be your bride." She faltered. "But... it looks like you've already gotten yourself a mate."

"Oh, no," Gaara replied nonchalantly. "This is my friend's child."

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Author's Note: Whew, more to come. That was a long chapter. Hope you enjoyed it. Please review!


	12. A Spat or Two

Author's Note: Sorry, once again, that it has taken me so very long to update! I'm going to try to make it good.

Chapter 12: A Spat (or Two)

Elizabeth stared at the man before her. He was tall, well-built, and, she had to admit, he was gorgeous. She decided that she did like him, and since he seemed to be perfectly fine with the little baby girl, then she maybe wouldn't mind marrying him.

Gaara wasn't paying any attention to the woman seated across from him. He was too worried about Diane to think about the woman he was supposed to be marrying. Little Nicola was fast asleep in his arms. She was so perfect, it hurt him to think that she would lose her mother. 'No!' he chided himself. 'Di-chan's going to be fine!'

"So, Gaara. When's the wedding?" Elizabeth asked coyly.

Gaara stood up. The woman had been pestering him with questions for well over an hour, and his patience was wearing thin. "Look, the wedding is supposed to take place tomorrow. I don't know what you're thinking, but I can't get married right now. One of my very close friends quite ill, and I can't deal with having to get married. Especially since it would break her heart. Understand?"

Gaara was bearing down on her. His eyes were burning. It was an attempt to frighten Elizabeth, but all she did was smile at him. She obviously didn't know how dangerous he could be.

"You can't love this person," she said slowly. "She's not a Princess.You'd be breaking the bloodline, and you'll be banished for that."

"I don't know who you think you are," Gaara said. "But I don't care if I'm banished for loving someone other than you. I don't even know you. What did you expect? For me to fall in love with you the second you arrived? For me to sweep you off your feet and fall head over heels? This isn't a fairytale, and the bottom line is: I can't marry you."

That did it. Elizabeth, she was angry now. This man was supposed to love her! "We have to get married! If you don't marry me... I'll... I'll make sure your friends can't have anymore kids. Got it?"

"Stop being stupid," Gaara warned, his voice was dangerously quiet.

"I'll make sure you'll never rule anywhere again!" she shouted.

Gaara had enough. He took Elizabeth by the arm. True, his grip was a bit stronger than necessary, but he was angry, and wasn't going to take anymore crud.

He roughly pushed Elizabeth back into her chair. "Sit here. I'll be back in just a moment. If you move, you will be punished, got it?"

Elizabeth gulped and nodded. Gaara quickly took Nicola back to Shaliza. "Thanks for letting me take care of her," Gaara said softly.

"You know, Gaara-sama; Someday you will make a great father, I think."

"Thank you, Shaliza-san."

He left the room and stormed back downstairs. Elizabeth was seated quietly.

"Got anything else to say?" he asked.

She looked up. Her eyes met his, and for the first time, Gaara saw the fear behind her defiant eyes.

"As a matter of fact, yes. Why do you love this person so much? She's not even here. She'll be dead soon, right? Why does she matter so much to you? Why can't I take her place?" She spoke softly, but there was an angry tone in her voice.

Gaara sat down. "I love her because she's the first person that ever loved me. She came here, half-dead from exhaustion and pregnant. Back then, I wasn't very smart, and I almost turned her away. I was lost emotionally, and she saved me. Please believe, it's nothing against you personally. If I pretended to love you, it would be a lie. I don't want you to get hurt."

Elizabeth stood up. "I want you to pretend, then! I want you to love me, not her! I want you to love me forever, even before she dies! I wish her dead, if it will gain me your love!" she shouted.

"What did you say?"

"I SAID THAT I WISH HER DEAD IF IT MEANS YOU CAN LOVE ME!"

"Enough!" Gaara again took her by the arm. This time, he really wasn't going to listen to her anymore. He marched her up the grand staricase, past several rooms, up to chamber beside his own. He'd come back for her in a few hours, but he really was quite sick of her. She was kicking at him, scratching, trying to bite, but the sand protected him. She tried to wrench her arms free, but his grip was too tight.

"LET ME GO!" She screamed.

"No," he replied calmly. "Here's the deal. This room doesn't have any windows and locks from the outside. You are to stay here until I come for you, not that you'll be able to escape. This is your punishment, so be thankful it wasn't more severe. I don't normally let people off that easy, but since you're so bent-set on getting married, I'll let you live. If you ever speak ill of Diane again, you will be very sorry." With that, he shoved her into the room and locked the door. 


End file.
